NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo Named Players Of The Week

February 6th, 2023 at 2:42pm CST by Rory Maher

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced (via Twitter). It’s the second straight player of the week award for both players.

Lillard, who won for the Western Conference, led Portland to a 3-1 week by averaging 38.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 6.8 APG on .500/.383/.981 shooting in 39.6 MPG. The veteran point guard was recently named an All-Star for the seventh time.

Antetokounmpo, the East’s winner, led Milwaukee to a 3-0 week by averaging 41.0 PPG, 17.3 RPG and 5.7 APG on .585/.231/.649 shooting in 36.0 MPG. He had a 54-point, 18-rebound effort versus the Clippers, plus a 35-point, 15-rebound, 11-assist triple-double against Miami.

According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Mikal Bridges, Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Kawhi Leonard, while Joel Embiid, Markelle Fultz, Darius Garland, Dejounte Murray and Cam Thomas were nominated in the East.

Sixers’ Furkan Korkmaz Reportedly Requests Trade

February 6th, 2023 at 2:12pm CST by Rory Maher

Sixers wing Furkan Korkmaz has requested a trade and hopes to be moved before Thursday’s deadline, sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The 25-year-old told Pompey he “would not confirm nor deny” the trade request.

Korkmaz is in his sixth NBA season, all with Philadelpha. He has only appeared in 25 games for an average of 10.2 minutes per contest — the fewest minutes he’s played since his rookie season. Korkmaz makes $5MM this season and $5.37MM in 2023/24.

According to Pompey’s sources, the Sixers have informed Korkmaz that they will try to include him in a trade.

His contract would almost certainly be viewed as a negative asset due to the guaranteed money he’s owed next season, so if he’s involved in a smaller trade, it would likely be a salary-dump move to help the Sixers dip under the luxury tax line. His contract and lack of playing time has caused his name to pop in trade rumors this season, so it’s not surprising that he hopes to be moved.

As Pompey writes, this is the second time that has requested a trade out of Philadelphia. His previous request came back in ’18/19 due to a lack of playing time. The team declined its third-year option on the former 26th overall pick, but he wound up re-signing with the Sixers after a bump in minutes.

In 281 career games (18.0 MPG), the Turkish guard/forwards holds averages of 7.5 PPG and 2.1 RPG on .405/.354/.759 shooting. He’s averaging 3.8 PPG this season while shooting 34.3% from deep.

In another article for The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscriber link), Pompey reports that the Sixers are looking for a “reserve center, a backup point guard, and another shooter.”

Bulls Notes: Trade Deadline, Caruso, Irving, LaVine, White

February 6th, 2023 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The 25-27 Bulls find themselves at a crossroads as this Thursday’s trade deadline approaches, but they don’t have any intention of trading away core players, team and league sources tell Jamal Collier of ESPN.

Collier’s report is consistent with what we’ve heard in recent weeks from other Bulls reporters, including K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago and Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Both Johnson and Cowley acknowledged that the team’s stance could change as the trade deadline nears, but with only about 72 hours left for teams to make in-season trades, it sounds like the Bulls haven’t become any more inclined to sell.

Collier does hear from a league source that the Bulls have shown a willingness to listen to inquiries on Alex Caruso, but says Chicago would probably have to be “blown away” by an offer to actually trade the veteran guard, who is the club’s best perimeter defender.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

With Lonzo Ball‘s availability up in the air for the foreseeable future, Kyrie Irving might have made some sense as a Bulls target from an on-court perspective, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. However, Cowley hears that Irving was never on the team’s radar following his trade request. Russell Westbrook isn’t a trade target for Chicago either, Cowley adds.
After earning All-Star nods in 2021 and 2022, Zach LaVine isn’t sweating not being named to the team this year, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “I didn’t feel like I played at an All-Star level at the beginning of the season. That’s coming back off of injury. I started slow and then started picking it up,” LaVine said. “I am where I’m supposed to be at. I know who I am as a player. I think the league knows that too.”
As Johnson relays, LaVine added that the Bulls haven’t been good enough to warrant sending two players to the All-Star Game (DeMar DeRozan was named a reserve). “I think bigger picture you’re not worried about All-Star, you’re trying to get your team back in the playoff picture,” LaVine said.
At one point this fall, it seemed like Coby White might be the odd man out in Chicago’s backcourt, but he has established himself as a consistent rotation piece over the course of the season, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. As Mayberry outlines, the case for hanging onto White and attempting to re-sign him as a restricted free agent is more compelling than it once was, so the Bulls could face a tough decision on the fourth-year guard at the trade deadline if they get a viable trade offer for him.

Warriors’ Ryan Rollins To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

February 6th, 2023 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Ryan Rollins‘ rookie season is expected to come to an early end, according to the Warriors, who announced in a press release that the first-year guard is undergoing surgery to repair a Jones fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.

The procedure, which is scheduled to take place this Wednesday, will likely keep Rollins sidelined for the remainder of the 2022/23 season, according to the team.

The 44th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Rollins appeared in just 12 games this season for the Warriors and played a very limited role, scoring 23 points in 62 total minutes.

Rollins averaged 18.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 3.6 APG for Toledo as a sophomore last season before declaring for the draft as an early entrant. Golden State sent $2MM in cash to Atlanta during the draft to move up from No. 51 to No. 44 to nab him.

However, Rollins’ rookie season got off to an ominous start when he was diagnosed with a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot shortly after being drafted. The injury, which was discovered during a medical evaluation that was part of Rollins’ on-boarding process, affected the same bone that he’s now undergoing surgery on.

Rollins’ three-year contract with the Warriors includes a fully guaranteed minimum salary for 2023/24, so he’s on track to remain on the club’s roster for next season.

Devin Booker Expected To Return On Tuesday

February 6th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Suns star Devin Booker is expected to return to action for Tuesday’s contest in Brooklyn, head coach Monty Williams told reporters, including Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link).

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week that the shooting guard could return as soon as Tuesday, and barring any last-minute setbacks, that appears to be the case.

Booker, a three-time All-Star, has been sidelined since Christmas Day due to a left groin strain, missing 21 consecutive games with the injury. The Suns were initially in a tailspin without their best player, losing nine of 11 games, but have righted the ship recently, winning eight of their past 10 contests.

Through 29 games (34.6 MPG), Booker is averaging 27.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 5.6 APG on .477/.370/.850 shooting. Phoenix is currently 29-26, the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.

And-Ones: 2023 Draft, M. Leonard, TV Rights, Elam Ending

February 6th, 2023 at 12:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The latest installment of Jonathan Givony’s 2023 NBA draft stock watch at ESPN (Insider link) highlights a series of Duke prospects, with big man Kyle Filipowski coming in at No. 14 on Givony’s big board, followed by center Dereck Lively II at No. 24 and swingman Dariq Whitehead at No. 26.

Whitehead’s stock has slipped since the start of the season, according to Givony, who notes that the freshman has struggled to be effective when healthy and ranks dead last among ESPN’s top 100 prospects in two-point field goal percentage (39.7%).

Jeremy Woo of SI.com also takes stock of where a few 2023 draft prospects stand, writing that UCF forward Taylor Hendricks is solidifying his place as a first-rounder and identifying Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin as a possible sleeper.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Free agent center Meyers Leonard spoke to Jeremy Schaap of ESPN’s Outside the Lines about his efforts to make it back to the NBA, discussing the work he has done to educate himself about antisemitism since uttering a slur on a video game stream nearly two years ago. Leonard also said that he suffered nerve damage when he underwent ankle surgery in April 2021 and spent much of the last two seasons rehabbing shoulder and ankle injuries.
Bill Shea of The Athletic explores how the collapse of the regional sports network model will affect the NBA as it negotiates its next media rights deal. It’s safe to assume the NBA’s next agreement will include a major streaming element, according to Shea, who observes that other leagues like the NFL, MLS, and MLB have established partnerships with companies like Amazon and Apple in recent years.
With the “Elam Ending” gaining some momentum in the G League, Jake Uitti of HoopsHype spoke to the creator, Nick Elam, about why he believes in the idea and what it was like to see the NBA adopt the concept for its All-Star Game, beginning in 2020.

Jazz Notes: Vanderbilt, Beasley, Conley, Trade Talks

February 6th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Jazz are facing a “robust” trade market with plenty of interest in Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley and Mike Conley, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic.

Sources tell Jones that Utah has been involved in trade calls with every team and has received multiple offers for more than one of its players. He cites “general interest” in Jordan Clarkson as well, although some clubs don’t want to commit to an impending free agent, and states that teams have also called about Kelly Olynyk.

The front office started reviewing all the offers over the weekend, according to Jones’ sources, and will decide soon if any are worth pursuing. He hears that the Jazz won’t approach the trade deadline as a fire sale and will only move forward with deals if they are in the best interest of the team’s future.

Jones was informed that a Western Conference team has offered multiple second-round picks in exchange for Vanderbilt. He’s not sure if Utah will accept that or hold out in hopes of landing a first-rounder as Thursday’s deadline draws closer.

Jones views Vanderbilt as the player most likely to be moved this week. He has been a starter for much of the season, but the emergence of rookie center Walker Kessler has limited the need to keep Vanderbilt on the roster. Utah has received multiple offers for Vanderbilt and must decide whether his age and favorable contract make him more valuable as a keeper or a trade asset.

Jones offers more insight from Utah:

A Western Conference team offered the Jazz a “significant expiring contract” in exchange for Conley earlier this season, but they turned down the deal. Jones hears that Conley, who is under contract for one more season with a partial guarantee, is happy to remain in Utah and serve as a veteran leader and will only be sent to a contender if he is traded.
The Jazz have talked to the Lakers about taking on Russell Westbrook‘s contract, but nothing appeared substantial Sunday night, according to Jones. L.A. has been reluctant to part with its first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 to get rid of Westbrook’s expiring $47.1MM deal.
Utah has also discussed deals involving John Collins, but multiple league sources tell Jones that the Hawks won’t part with him unless they’re confident that the return would significantly boost their playoff chances.
The Jazz also asked the Mavericks about Dorian Finney-Smith before Dallas included him in the deal with Brooklyn for Kyrie Irving.
Inquiring teams have been told that Lauri Markkanen, Kessler and fellow rookie Ochai Agbaji aren’t being made available, Jones confirms.

CBA Early Opt-Out Deadline Likely To Be Extended Again

February 6th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA and its players union are expected to extend Wednesday’s early opt-out deadline for the collective bargaining agreement, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski also hears that the league appears willing to back away from its demand for an upper spending limit on payrolls (Twitter link). The players have been strongly opposed to that proposal, which would create a de facto hard cap in place of the current luxury tax system.

According to Wojnarowski, the NBA’s Board of Governors voted Friday to give its labor relations committee the authorization to extend the deadline again, and the league and the National Basketball Players Association appear headed in that direction.

The early opt-out deadline was originally set for December 15, but the two sides agreed to extend it until February 8. The current seven-year CBA will expire after the 2023/24 season, but the league and the players’ union hold a mutual option to terminate the agreement at the end of the current league year, which is June 30.

The extension will give negotiators more time to discuss a potential new deal without the imminent threat of an opt-out. Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press reported last month that another extension appeared likely.

Wojnarowski notes that teams had been hoping for a new agreement prior to this week’s trade deadline so they could have more clarity about the league’s long-term financial structure (Twitter link).

Mavericks Notes: Finney-Smith, Harrison, Green, Hardy

February 6th, 2023 at 10:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Dorian Finney-Smith called it “bittersweet” to be leaving the Mavericks after spending six-and-a-half years with the team, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Finney-Smith, who earned a roster spot as an undrafted free agent in 2016, was one of the bargaining chips the Mavs are using to acquire Kyrie Irving from the Nets.

The versatile 29-year-old forward is nearing the first anniversary of signing the four-year, $55.5MM extension that seemed to make him a franchise cornerstone. He was among the Mavericks’ best perimeter defenders and steadily improved as a shooter throughout his time in Dallas.

In an interview with Townsend, Finney-Smith acknowledged rumors that Brooklyn might include him in another deal before Thursday’s deadline.

“It makes you feel good that the league sees the work that I’ve put in,” he said. “But you never know. We’ve still got four more days and you never know what can happen.”

There’s more from Dallas:

In acquiring Irving, general manager Nico Harrison is trading the team’s established culture for a shot at winning a title, observes Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie were an important part of that culture, Caplan adds, along with Jalen Brunson, who left for the Knicks in free agency last summer. Caplan also states that Harrison was forced to gamble on Irving because his offseason moves to add Christian Wood and JaVale McGee haven’t turned out the way he hoped, while Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s return from injury hasn’t made up for the loss of Brunson.
The Nets had strong interest in Josh Green, but the Mavericks refused to include him in their offer, sources tell Tim Cato of The Athletic, who adds that Dallas was also reluctant to part with rookie guard Jaden Hardy. Cato also confirms a report from Sunday that the Mavs are hoping to shake up their roster even further before the deadline. Cato’s sources say the front office is pursuing other deals, and he notes that wing depth is a glaring issue, particularly on defense, following the loss of Finney-Smith.
Luka Doncic will miss his second straight game Monday with a right heel contusion, but Wood is listed as questionable to return from a fractured left thumb, according to a tweet from the team.

Lakers Notes: Trade Deadline, Westbrook, Irving, Reaves

February 6th, 2023 at 9:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Now that Kyrie Irving is headed to Dallas, the Lakers are left to search for other ways to upgrade their roster, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register.

There don’t appear to be any other All-Star level talents available for what L.A. has to offer, so Goon believes the options now involve role players such as Mike Conley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley from the Jazz, Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott from the Spurs or possibly Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier and Mason Plumlee from the Hornets.

The Lakers are also in a difficult situation because the player they most want to part with, Russell Westbrook, has a contract that will likely require three or four players in return to match salaries, Goon adds. Utah, Charlotte and San Antonio may not be interested in making such a complex deal when there are simpler options with other teams.

Last month’s acquisition of Rui Hachimura — and the likelihood of a new contract this summer — will cut into L.A.’s projected cap room. A rival executive told Goon that the Lakers want to limit this year’s hit on their repeater tax, which also reduces their options in the trade market.

There’s more on the Lakers:

Although Westbrook has been better this season, teams remain reluctant to take on his $47.1MM contract, Goon adds. The same executive says potential trade partners still want at least one future unprotected first-round pick attached in any Westbrook deal. Goon also speculates that the Lakers’ interest in Irving may have opened old wounds with Westbrook that could affect locker room chemistry if he remains with the team.
The Lakers received permission from the Nets to talk to Irving’s representatives when he was pondering his player option last summer, but they didn’t follow up, sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Even though L.A. appeared to be the most likely trade partner at the time, Irving’s agent, Shetellia Riley Irving, never heard from any member of the team’s front office. Buha’s sources say the Nets informed the Lakers that they wouldn’t have accepted Westbrook in an Irving deal, so his only path to L.A. was to decline the option and sign for the mid-level exception, which the Lakers didn’t believe he would do. L.A. reportedly tried again in early July and during Summer League, but Brooklyn wasn’t interested in dealing Irving at the time.
Austin Reaves talks about the difficulty of breaking into the NBA as an undrafted free agent during an interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

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